Surgical interventions often require specialized surgical instruments. These instruments must be durable, easy to clean and sterilize and compact in shape so as to not obstruct the view of the incision site. Many handpieces are powered to provide better cutting or drilling abilities. The handpiece may be AC-powered, water-powered, air-powered, or belt-driven, and may include a foot controller for regulation of speed and direction of rotation or a contra-angle attachment for difficult to reach areas.
Electric handpieces are increasing in popularity as they provide excellent power and torque over a wide range of speeds, allowing the operator to select the appropriate revolutions-per-minute (RPM) for the procedure at hand. By using attachments with different gear reduction ratios, one system can provide high-speed, slow-speed, and even endodontic rotary capabilities. These handpieces incorporate motors to operate moving portions, which are regulated by a controller that detects environmental factors and correspondingly powers the motor. Surgical handpiece motors typically function in inherently noisy electronic environments, making the collection an interpretation of environmental and operational data difficult. What is needed in the art, therefore, is a handpiece controller with the capability to collect environmental and operational data from the motor, filter the data, and adjust the operation of the motor based on the filtered environmental data.